NBA to Deliver 27 Games Using Virtual Reality Technology

NBA Digital and Next VR said its League Pass subscribers will get 27 live games in virtual reality during the 2017-18 basketball season.

The VR schedule features all 30 NBA teams, starting with a free preview on Oct. 21, when the Dallas Mavericks play the Houston Rockets.

“By committing to a schedule of VR games, we’ve been able to listen to fan feedback in real-time and deploy improvements on a weekly basis,” said Jeff Marsilio, NBA VP, Global Media Distribution. “The fan response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to seeing their reaction to this year’s new VR capabilities.”

NextVR will be introducing the NextVR Screening Room, which will allow subscribers to watch any NBA League Pass game on a virtual movie theater-sized screen.

Last season, the NBA offered its first schedule of weekly live games in VR.

New product features from NextVR include live volumetric telestration, live infographics and dynamic stats inserted into the virtual scene, and user-selected point-of-view for the 27-game schedule. These advancements will add to last year’s features, such as dedicated announcers, pre- and post-game analysis, in-arena entertainment and behind-the-scenes features.

“Following a groundbreaking first season of NBA games in VR, we will introduce new product features, including real-time graphics floating like holograms within the field-of-play, deliver sharper images, and introduce more VR devices to fans,” said David Cole, NextVR CEO. “We are continuing to advance the realism and fidelity of our NBA broadcasts and these new features will deliver the most immersive live basketball experience to date.”